File Photo

COX'S BAZAR, Dec 5, 2025 (BSS) - Once red crabs were found in abundance in the beaches of Cox's Bazar, a popular tourist destination in Bangladesh where hundreds of tourists visit every day to pass their leisure time, but nowadays the creature is disappearing from the beaches due to unregulated tourism activities and human disturbance.

However, more tourists can be attracted in the beaches of Cox's Bazar through proper conservation of red crabs as people often visit the sandy beaches to enjoy the walking of red crabs.

According to locals, red crabs are still seen in some places of Teknaf, Inani and Himchhari beaches but their number is dwindling fast.

Osman Sarwar, a resident of Shafir Beel village of Cox's Bazar, said red crabs are disappearing from the beaches due to illegal fishing nets and disturbances by tourists and sound pollution.

He said the number of red crabs in Inani and Himchhari has dwindled significantly due to human interventions and unregulated tourism, while tourists drive motorbikes on the beaches destroying the habitats of red crabs.

To protect the red crabs in Cox's Bazar, Arannayk Foundation, a non-profit conservation organisation in Bangladesh, established a Community-Based Crab Conservation Group (CCG) involving 25 local youths under its 'Ecosystem Awareness and Restoration Through Harmony (EARTH)' project with support from the Forest Department, the Department of Environment (DoE) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

The group members were divided into five sub-groups to boost conservation awareness and promote community involvement. Following training on biodiversity and environment, climate change and adaptation, they effectively raised awareness among 290 individuals (155 females and 135 males) from the community, youth, and tourists regarding the importance of red crab conservation and biodiversity.

CCG leader Rezaul Karim said after receiving training under the project, they started awareness campaign among locals and tourists about the importance of red crabs in the beaches.
 
He said the reckless movement of horses and beach bikes cause havoc to the red crab habitats on the beaches and many fishermen are also using current nets for fishing there. 

Sometimes, the fishermen leave these nets abandoned on the beaches, which act as a death trap for the crabs, he said.

"We made both the visitors and fishermen aware of the red crab conservation," Rezaul said, adding that if the red crabs are conserved, more tourists will come to see them and enjoy the beauty of the beaches.

Osman Sarwar said there are still plenty of red crabs in Baliakhali beach in Ukhyia and those should be conserved, asking the authorities concerned to announce Baliakhali beach as a sanctuary of red crabs.

Takiur Rahman, a member of CCG, said they were voluntarily involved in making people aware of conservation of red crabs by using loudspeakers as they knew if the red crabs survive, the beach ecosystem will be protected. 

He said their group held meetings with imams of mosques, local leaders and educated people urging them to play their role in red crab conservation. "Now people are being aware of red crab conservation," he added.

Red crab is in the "least concern category" on the red list of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). But it recommends that the creature's habitats be protected.

Firoz Al Amin, range officer of the Inani forest range in Ukhiya, said he sent a proposal to the concerned ministry to announce the Baliakhali beach a protected area for red crabs. 

Also, he said, the Forest Department has been working to conserve red crabs in the beaches of Cox's Bazar.